Utility vehicles, such as those that are used for performing yard work, are often used in a variety of weather conditions. For example, the utility vehicle can be used to transport sod from one location on a property to another under ideal weather conditions. Alternatively, the utility vehicle can also be used to transport tubes or piping to various locations during raining or storming conditions. As such, the comfort needs of the utility vehicle operator can vary depending on the different weather conditions.
Typical utility vehicles known in the art either have a permanently-installed windshields or no windshield at all. However, the downside to each of these configurations is that if the utility vehicle is being used in day-to-day operations, the operator will experience changes in the weather conditions that may make the use of the utility vehicle uncomfortable. In particular, the operator will likely get completely wet when the utility vehicle that does not include a windshield is used during rainy conditions. On the other hand, the operator will have to look through a potentially dirty windshield during dry and sunny days when the utility vehicle that includes a permanent windshield is used during sunny or dry conditions.
One solution is to provide a removable windshield that can be installed or removed depending upon the current weather conditions. However, the disadvantage of such a removable windshield is that the utility vehicle typically does not include a storage location for the completely removable windshield. As such, if the weather conditions change throughout the course of the day, the windshield must either remain installed or remain stored at a location that may be an unreasonable distance to travel to simply re-attach it.
Therefore, the need exists for a storable windshield for a utility vehicle in which the windshield can be storable on or within the utility vehicle during ideal weather conditions and can be installable during inclement weather conditions without the need to retrieve the uninstalled windshield from a separate location.